Comments on: Critical: Women learn to use mousetraps: species/gender intersectionality in the US http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=564 analyzing and changing the status of women in households, prisons and cities Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:38:04 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Annie Yaniga http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=564&cpage=1#comment-559 Annie Yaniga Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:08:46 +0000 http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=564#comment-559 It is interesting and shocking to me to see how persistently prevalent these hegemonic constructions are in popular media. The Ortho Mouse Trap commercial is a fantastic example to illustrate Laura's argument. I like to think about why we feel it is necessary to construct a masculinity insensitive to the suffering of "subordinate" creatures (such as women and non-human animals) in the first place. I believe this cultural script traces its origin to what we believe are the needs of empire and dominance (men must be emotionally impermeable/non-empathetic to win wars and rule nations). Both historically and in the present day, if men spent their energy worrying about the welfare of animals and women they'd have less energy to spill blood and exercise their power over others. It is interesting and shocking to me to see how persistently prevalent these hegemonic constructions are in popular media. The Ortho Mouse Trap commercial is a fantastic example to illustrate Laura’s argument.

I like to think about why we feel it is necessary to construct a masculinity insensitive to the suffering of “subordinate” creatures (such as women and non-human animals) in the first place. I believe this cultural script traces its origin to what we believe are the needs of empire and dominance (men must be emotionally impermeable/non-empathetic to win wars and rule nations). Both historically and in the present day, if men spent their energy worrying about the welfare of animals and women they’d have less energy to spill blood and exercise their power over others.

]]> By: Kathy Meek http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=564&cpage=1#comment-557 Kathy Meek Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:13:50 +0000 http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=564#comment-557 As mentioned in Laura's article, there is growing awareness of the parallel between violence towards animals and domestic abuse. In fact, one non profit organization, American Humane, focuses on ending both these kinds of violence in the belief that neither can be ameliorated without also improving the other. More information on American Humane and the "Link of Violence" can be found at: http://www.americanhumane.org/human-animal-bond/programs/the-link-of-violence/ K Meek As mentioned in Laura’s article, there is growing awareness of the parallel between violence towards animals and domestic abuse. In fact, one non profit organization, American Humane, focuses on ending both these kinds of violence in the belief that neither can be ameliorated without also improving the other. More information on American Humane and the “Link of Violence” can be found at:
http://www.americanhumane.org/human-animal-bond/programs/the-link-of-violence/

K Meek

]]>